Houston Astros center fielder Justin Maxwell. Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Houston center fielder Justin Maxwell was placed on the 15-day disabled list after he fractured his left hand on Tuesday night in the Astros’ 3-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Maxwell was hit by a pitch from Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma in the third inning with the bases loaded, which brought in a run and gave the Astros a 3-1 lead.
He stayed in the game for another inning and was replaced by Brandon Barnes in the fifth. Barnes is expected to take over in center while Maxwell is out. Rick Ankiel could play center as well.
The Astros also made a roster move, calling up outfielder Robbie Grossman from triple-A Oklahoma City before Wednesday’s game against the Mariners.
“He’s been outstanding,” Astros manager Bo Porter said of Maxwell, according to MLB.com. “Defense, big hits. We’ll need other guys to step up.”
Maxwell is htting .234 with one home run and six RBI. The 29-year-old had started all 20 games this season in center.
After the game, Maxwell tweeted, “Wish I didn’t have a broken hand, but wouldn’t trade it for an RBI that helped lead to an important @astros W. Praying for speedy recovery.”
